Help solve argument

NEIGHBOURS and family members are being asked to actively seek amicable resolutions before arguments get out of hand, as law enforcers tackle an increasing number of domestic violence offences and vicious disputes between friends and neighbours.

These types off incidents are believed to drain more than half of police resources in Gympie and other large police districts in Queensland, with domestic violence and arguments taking up valuable police time.

Mediation aims to resolve disputes in many areas of life including family law, neighbourhood conflict and employment, while reducing the cost of having it dealt with through the court system.

It's a process where a neutral and independent person (a mediator) helps the parties in a dispute to reach their own solution.

Even if a resolution is not achieved and the dispute ultimately ends in court, the mediation process can help to clarify and define the real issues in dispute.

While proactive policing may have a long-term affect on reducing these types of incidents, it appears to have done little to stem the flow of domestic violence and neighbourhood disputes.